The names of the wounded officers and suspects were not released. Neither were photos of anybody involved.

Ledesma's widow spoke to Shawn Hancock, president of the Chandler Law Enforcement Association.

"She told me he died doing what he loved, he died serving the community," Hancock said. "It's something we all hope never happens, but we realize it's part of the job.''

As Chandler police come to grips with the worst they endure – the slaying of a colleague in the line of duty -- officials are quickly putting together the pieces of the marijuana-buy gone wrong.

Two other Chandler officers were shot, and two criminal suspects were shot and killed. The two Chandler officers are expected to survive.

At Chandler's Police Department at 250 E. Chicago Street, mourning was apparent in the form of flowers and lit candles laid at the foot of a statue of a police officer. Employees inside were choked up, some tearing. They are grieving the death of one of their own, who died trying to protect the public.

The city of Chandler has also canceled an All-America City event scheduled for Friday. Additionally, Mayor Boyd Dunn said all the items from Thursday's meeting agenda will be postponed until Aug. 16 or 19, including the hotly contested police union contract.

"We are doing our legal due diligence, but my feeling is this is not the time to do any business; we need to focus on what's important," Dunn said.

Chandler police are asking people who want to give in honor of the fallen police officer to make donations to: Wells Fargo, Account #9918672768.

The slain officer "was a good man, a good officer and father," said former Chandler Police Officer Dan Lovelace. Lovelace was with his daughter, Lucy, 4, who was adding flowers to the memorial. Lovelace said the officer was married and has at least two children.

"This is a really sobering reminder how dangerous the job is, and at any given moment, tragedy can happen," he said.

Wednesday's operation involved undercover officers trying to buy bales of marijuana, and they were apparently not wearing their vests when the worst took place, flying bullets felling cops, according to reports.

One suspect fatally shot was fleeing in a car, police said. Six suspects have been detained. A Chevrolet Caprice Classic was towed away.

"The six suspects are being questioned as we speak," Martos said.

A crowd of supportive officers gathered at St. Joseph's Medical Center. One police officer was pronounced dead a short time after his Wednesday evening arrival, police said. One suffered an injury, possibly to his spleen, and though things were touch and go apparently, his prognosis had improved, according to reports.

The third officer is okay, according to reports.

"It's bad enough when one (police officer is shot)," Martos. "It's like getting punched in the gut, like getting the air sucked out of you."

The shooting happened in a neighborhood south of Lindo Park in an area where police and neighborhood leaders have grappled for years with drug-related violence. Emergency crews were called to the scene, near South 23rd Avenue and Vineyard Road, around 6:45 p.m.

The initial shootout happened on the 2300 block of Maldonado Road, authorities said, though paramedics picked up some wounded people at a nearby address on Darrel Road. Phoenix police said the incident had spilled out into the street.

Police would not say where the wounded suspects were taken or what their conditions were.

Phoenix homicide detectives and Chandler internal-affairs investigators were expected to spend several hours reconstructing the scene to determine the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.

Phoenix officers were not involved in the shooting.

Hancock said the three officers involved had varied levels of experience and longevity in the department.
Hancock had been scheduled to appear at Thursday's council meeting with a crowd of officers to argue for merit raises, which has now been postponed.

About the probe into Wednesday's events, Martos said, "it is fairly complicated."

Police officers sometimes forget how dangerous the job can be. But any police will say this is the job they want to do, Martos said.

"Situations like this end up putting into perspective that they never know if they are going to home at night some days."